Twilight Sparkle and the Debate of the Ages
by DetonateTheMeatgrinder
Summary: This story takes place after the events of Magical Mystery Cure, before Equestria Girls. It is set in an alternate timeline/universe where the Mane 6 fought a mysterious new villain right after the coronation but the real drama is among the new princess and her friends. This story is my friendly jab at both Equestria Girls AND Season 4. Enjoy :)


Twilight sat at her favorite desk in the Golden Oaks library, reading. What else would she be doing? She had already sent off the letter to Princess Celestia of the lesson she had learned about friendship earlier that morning with Spike. The last few days, being stuck in the middle of Pinkie and Applejack having their bizarre argument about apple pie, was downright weird. Twilight had nevertheless been able to resolve the argument, with some unusual insight from Rarity and Sweetie Belle. Twilight had learned that, whatever causes a rift between your friends, even something as mundane as baked goods, it can be fixed by listening to and respecting each other. And that's what Twilight told the Princess. Admittedly, not the most pressing or serious concern she had ever faced. Spike had giggled the entire time he transcribed the letter. It was the first letter she had sent to Princess Celestia about friendship in almost a month. That's because, since the whole Madam Mysterium incident was taken care of not too long after the coronation, things had been relatively quiet and peaceful for Twilight and her friends in Ponyville, and there didn't seem to be any new lesson to learn, and thus report to Celestia. That's not to say she wasn't in regular correspondence with the Princess.

Twilight, now an official Alicorn Princess of Equestria, was needed in Canterlot on a regular basis. She had been working alongside Princesses Celestia and Luna on the day-to-day ruling of Equestria, and she was learning so much! Twilight didn't really mind the traveling back and forth between Canterlot and Ponyville. Although Celestia and Luna resided in Canterlot, Twilight was never expected to move there. All her friends were in Ponyville, and she could never leave her friends! So the days Twilight was not in Canterlot, she kept in constant touch with her mentor via her number one magically burping baby dragon assistant, Spike.

The traveling had been a whole new set of learning experiences. Most of the time, she was taken back and forth by the Royal Pegasi Guard, but she had also begun practicing her teleporting powers. She had been able to teleport herself for years now, except it had only been over short distances, and it wore her out. But now, having the extra magical abilities of an alicorn, she found teleporting greater distances easier and easier. She hadn't quite gotten the hang of it yet, but she was close. And then, of course, there was...flying...

Twilight magically turned the page of her book, Secrets of the Alicorn, and readjusted her wings against her side. She frowned. They still felt so new to her, and it was very awkward getting used to them. In the utter joy of her coronation, she had taken to the air with ease. But once things started settling back to normal, and of course after she recovered from Mysterium attempting to hex her wings away, she realized that flying was actually a lot harder than she thought, much like long distance teleporting.

She was weary of attempting the solo flight between Canterlot and Ponyville just yet, and she had been hoping to make time to schedule a flying lesson with Rainbow Dash, already moving fast up the ranks of the Wonderbolts, but she had just been so busy with all her royal responsibilities!

Twilight closed her book, stood up to stretch her legs and wings, and then trotted up to her bed to lay down. She sighed. She was so grateful to be an alicorn and a princess, and she was learning so many new, amazing things about Equestria and leadership, and she valued the time she spent learning under her mentor, and getting to know the lovely, mysterious Luna, and the opportunities she had now to see Cadence and Shining Armor so much more often. She loved it all, and she loved her work, but a small part of her wondered if it was all too much to handle, and if maybe, just maybe, it was keeping her from her-

BOOM! Twilight jumped. The front door had banged open and Rainbow Dash came soaring in, right in the middle of a heated argument with Rarity, who trotted gracefully in after her, but still caught up in their mad debate.

"Rarity? Rainbow?"

"I'm telling you Rarity, you guys wouldn't stand a chance!"

"Oh and I suppose raising the Sun and Moon isn't at all indicative of just how-"

"Celestia and Luna are ALICORNS, Rarity, like Twi here."

"Umm hello?" Twilight attempted again, walking down the stairs.

"Yes of course but as you remember from our ancient history, it was the Unicorn race before our beloved monarchs that were responsible-"

"You keep forgetting that the Pegasi were the warriors-"

"And YOU keep interrupting me! I mean my goodness, Rainbow Dash, is there anything more rude than not letting somepony finish their-"

"HELLO!" Twilight shrieked, and finally got their attention. Rainbow Dash was so surprised she fell to the floor.

"If you two are done interrupting each other, can you please tell me what this is all about, and why you just barged your way in here?"

Rainbow Dash and Rarity both looked down and kicked their hooves sheepishly against the ground.

"I'm...I'm ever so sorry darling," Rarity said, looking balefully with her large blue eyes.

"Me too," said Rainbow Dash.

Twilight exhaled and stretched out her hoof, in the calming manner Cadence had taught her.

"It's okay. I'm sorry I yelled at you. I've just been a little on edge with all this princess stuff, and then you two show up and...anyway, what was all this about in the first place?"

"Rarity and I-" Rainbow started, but Rarity stepped in front of her, eager to let Twilight know she did not start this.

"RAINBOW came to the Carosel Boutique this morning, with a hypothetical scenario. I, of course, was incredibly busy on a new order of dresses, but the more she ranted at me, the more it engaged my curiosity, until eventually we became embroiled in a...rather fiesty dabate."

"You don't say?" Twilight said sarcastically.

"Yes, well I suppose we ultimately decided to come see you so you can be the...tiebreaker, as it were."

"Okay...so...what's the scenario?"

Rarity lifted a hoof to allow Rainbow Dash to take it away, and Rainbow Dash lifted into the air, excited.

"Okay, so you know how Mysterium almost robbed all the Alicorns of their magic, and Celestia didn't really know what to do, but everything thankfully worked out when Applejack bucked Mysterium in the face?"

"Of course! Who could forget? That moment has been immortalized in stain glass at Canterlot!"

"Right. Well it got me thinking. We were all saved by an earth pony, who stopped that twisted centaur mare from stealing the magic of the Alicorn Princesses. But suppose, just for a second, that we weren't. That getting bucked right in the mouth hadn't stopped her, that Zecora hadn't discovered that the source of her power was in her two front teeth. The way I see it, it would mean she would enslave both the earth ponies and the Alicorns, since her power weakened Alicorn magic. That would leave..."

She pointed her hoof at Rarity.

"Unicorns..."

And then at herself.

"And Pegasi."

Twilight looked from an embarrassed Rarity to a snarky looking Rainbow Dash, confused.

"Okay..."

"My question then is, if it had been down to the Unicorns and the Pegasi to defeat Mysterium, which would it be?"

"What?" Twilight blinked.

"Which race of ponies would ultimately succeed in defeating that crazy madam chick? The unicorns...or THE PEGASI?"

Rainbow Dash started flaunting and flexing in midair, just like Snowflake.

Twilight just looked up at her, not sure what to say. She honestly was not believing what she was hearing.

"Rarity? What do you have to say?"

"Umm..." Rarity was clearly flummoxed, baffled she had allowed herself to become entangled in this ludicrous discussion.

"Well I was...just giving my numerous reasons for my belief why the power and magic of unicorns would be...sufficient to defeat...evil..."

Rarity could not look Twilight in the eyes.

"I don't suppose," Twilight began, puffing herself up importantly, "that either of you suggested using, oh I don't know, the magic of friendship? A powerful magic that connects us to each other, has allowed us to defeat villians on numerous occasions, and could presumably do so again?"

Once more, Rainbow slumped to the ground.

"Well...OBVIOUSLY that was the first thing we considered but, I mean, Pinkie and AJ would be enslaved so-"

"Is our friendship not powerful enough? Why, I bet our friendship is so powerful, we could use it's magic...even in some strange other world, without even having all the Elements of Harmony!"

"How would that work?" Rainbow asked, raising her hooves quizzically.

"All I'm saying is, friendship, like love, is a force that's powerful and strange, and to be perfectly frank with you two, I don't think it's appropriate to speculate which race of ponies is superior."

"Who said anything about superior? All I'm asking is, which race is stronger, smarter, more powerful, and more capable of saving the world?"

Rarity rolled her eyes. "I'm SO SORRY Rainbow Dash. I don't know HOW I could have failed to see the difference."

Twilight closed her eyes, took a deep breath, exhaled again and then opened them.

Rarity was looking frusterated, probably because her dresses were due soon. Rainbow was looking annoyed and confused.

Twilight walked up the stairs, and laid back down on her bed. She spoke calmly, with her wings tucked against her body.

"Rainbow Dash, in answer to your question, I studied the power Mysterium was trying to use, and as it weakened Alicorn magic, it would most likely have the same effect on Unicorns AND Pegasi."

"Oh," said Rainbow Dash, looking disappointed.

"I do hope neither of you actually believe any one race of ponies is better than another. Why, I'm sure there are ponies that do certain things better than even Princess Celestia. No pony is better than any other. We are just different."

"Yes, I understand that," said Rarity, in a very conclusive tone.

"Yeah...you're right. Sorry." Rainbow Dash was finally done being cocky. For now.

"Now I have a question for the two of YOU."

"Yes darling?" said Rarity, ever so sweetly.

"Why is it that, in the very little free time I have with you all lately, I seem to be nothing but the mediator, resolving all your strange arguments and bickering, instead of just being with my friends? Pinkie and Applejack with that weird apple pie thing, you two with this bizarre little hypothetical situation? And don't get me started on that whole mess with Fluttershy being too shy! I'm working so hard on being a princess, and I miss my friends. I'm tired of feeling like your baby sitter..." 

Rainbow Dash and Rarity both looked really sorry. No one said anything. And then in that silence-

BANG! Spike slammed the door open yet again as he came running inside, out of breath. He was holding what looked like a bundle of quills and a letter from Princess Celestia. He spoke in between breaths.

"Twilight...I just got back...from the Sofa & Quill Shoppe...I had just gotten your supply of quills...when this came from the Princess...unfortunately I...accidentally fried them...so I went back and...got more real quick and then..."

Spike dropped the quills and the letter on Twilight's desk and then fell backwards onto his bed, panting. "...hi Rarity."

Twilight came down from off her bed, laughing.

"Oh Spike...why did you run straight here?"

Spike caught his breath and then stood up. "Sorry. I just worried that there was something wrong. Her responses don't usually come that fast lately. And after Mysterium..."

"Mmmm...what's it say Spike?"

Spike unraveled the scroll and read.

" 'My dearest Princess Twilight,

I appreciate that you still feel compelled to send me your lessons about friendship. One could argue that you've learned almost everything there is to know on the subject...Princess. I feel, however, that it is no longer...necessary, unless of course you feel it is very important. That being said, I feel the need to respond to your last lesson. Not so much the lesson, but what it represents. Upon reading of this 'apple pie' argument, I wonder if perhaps you have not been spending enough time with your friends, and they are...acting out in turn. I don't need to tell you that they are the most important thing in your life, and perhaps, to all of Equestria. Especially after your recent ordeal. Just something to consider. Hope you are well.

Yours faithfully,

Princess Celestia' "

Twilight blinked. It all made sense. She looked up at Rainbow Dash and Rarity. They both grinned at her sheepishly.

"We're...we're sorry," Rainbow Dash said, her wings tucked against her body.

"No. I'm sorry. I was worried that I wasn't spending enough time with all of you, but it's just been so difficult, becoming a princess, almost being hexed."

"But darling," Rarity said with concern, "you ARE a princess. Of course you would be busy."

"But I wouldn't even BE a princess if it wasn't for my friends! Celestia is right. You guys are the most important ponies in my life, and I need to spend WAY MORE time with ALL of you!"

Rarity and Rainbow Dash looked like they were going to cry. Yes, EVEN Rainbow Dash! They embraced Twilight in a big hug. Spike was so moved that he joined in, and he wasn't even hugging Rarity.

"It's too bad Applejack, Pinkie and Fluttershy aren't here," Rarity said, still hugging.

"Yeah," said Twilight, still hugging. "I really am sorry to have put you all through so much. I'm just still struggling to know what being a princess is all about."

"Of course, Twi," Rainbow said, still hugging.

In the middle of the hug, there was a knock at the door.

"Maybe that's them now!" Spike said.

Twilight laughed. "If it is, they'll be the first ponies to have knocked all day."

Twilight went to open it and shrieked. Rarity cried out "Oh my!" and then collapsed on her emergency fainting sofa, and Rainbow bolted up in the air once again, putting up her hooves defensively.

"Who are you?" Twilight gasped.

Standing in front of her was a bizarre looking but strangely familiar creature. It had purple hair and skin, like Twilight, but it was tall and thin and was standing upright on two thin leg-like appendages, with two strange appendages shooting from the top of its torso. It had a face similar to Twilight's with eyes big and purple just like hers, but a smaller muzzle, and she was wearing what appeared to be a light blue blouse and a short purple skirt with a symbol on it that looked just like..._Twilight's cutie mark_...

"Are you-"

"I'm you! I know how strange I look! It's a long story..."

"But how...what are you?"

"I'm you but right now I look like one of these things. I never found out what they are called. I've worked out that basically I come from an alternate Universe where my crown was stolen right after coronation."

"My crown?"

"Yeah. I had to go into a magic mirror located in the Crystal Empire that is a portal into another world. That's where I was turned into this thing."

"But the crown. Did you retrieve it?"

"Well I thought I did. Spike came with me into that world, and along with my friends-"

"Friends?"

"I'll try to explain later. They helped me get the crown back and I went through the portal. The thing is, it was different the way back. Not as bright. I came back and found myself alone in a dark cave, without the crown and still looking like this. I was heartbroken, but I sat and thought for a long time and realized-"

"That going back through the portal created a clone of you, still in that form, bringing you to this Universe! Of course! I've read about these things in _Theoretical Magical Physics."_

"That was my hypothesis."

"But if that's the case, then the other version of you, of...me...got back to your Universe okay, with Spike, the crown, and as a pony."

"I certainly hope so."

"Oh I'm so sorry this happened to you, to me."

"Well I figured if anypony can help me, I can."

"Of course! But tell me, who stole our crown? Did they use it for evil? What are the other things like you like? What's the other world like?"

"Well..."

"Oh I'm sorry. Please come in first...Twilight. You must be so tired."

"Yes thank you...Twilight. Not to mention it was really hard getting here without anypony seeing me. But I do want to tell you everything. Trust me, it is a long, strange story..."


End file.
